MADRIDMADRID May 8 (Reuters) - When Frank Rijkaard was appointed coach of Barcelona in 2003 he took charge of a team demoralised by four years of underachievement, instability and political in-fighting.
Over the next three seasons the Dutchman steered the Catalans to back-to-back league titles, victory in the Champions League and helped them become the most attractive side on the continent.
Lauded for his commitment to open, attacking football, his skilful management of high-profile players, unflappable temperament and self-effacing manner, he was seen as the perfect coach for a club that had been in crisis since 1999.
But the team's failure to maintain high standards, their surrender of the league to arch-rivals Real Madrid last season and rifts in the dressing room have meant that the very characteristics that were once so admired in Rijkaard had come to be seen as flaws.
Accused of being passive, tactically naive and too soft on the players, it was his inability to halt the club's slide in form that brought a premature end to his time at Barcelona.
At his appointment, Rijkaard's credentials were challenged because of his lack of coaching experience and the fact that he was third choice behind fellow Dutchmen Guus Hiddink and Ronald Koeman.
HOME DEFEAT
In his first season at the Nou Camp he was greeted by the headline "Guilty" with an arrow pointing to his photograph in one Catalan sports daily after Barca had slumped to their first home league defeat by Real Madrid for 20 years.
But club president Joan Laporta stuck with Rijkaard and it paid dividends. The arrival of midfielder Edgar Davids in January transformed the team that put together a 17-match unbeaten run to finish second behind Valencia in the title race.
The following season with Samuel Eto'o and Deco joining Ronaldinho at the Nou Camp, Barca stormed to the league title to win their first trophy in six years.
They topped that achievement in 2006 by retaining the league title, beating Arsenal in the Champions League final in Paris and earning widespread admiration for their crowd-pleasing, attack-minded football.
But just as they appeared to be developing an aura of invincibility, cracks began to appear.
A 3-0 demolition by fellow Spaniards Sevilla in the European Super Cup at the start of the 2006-07 season provided an early indication of the team's fallibility.
They were given further warnings when they were out-thought by Internacional in the final of the World Club Cup, out-fought by Liverpool in Europe and then humiliated by Getafe in the semi-final of the King's Cup.
GALACTICO MELTDOWN
Dressing room divisions, fitness problems and tactical errors raised the spectre of a galactico meltdown and it was confirmed when they threw away a handsome lead in the title race allowing Real to snatch the crown from their grasp.
The club moved quickly to strengthen the squad, and Eric Abidal and Gabriel Milito in defence, Yaya Toure in midfield and Thierry Henry up front appeared to be astute signings.
The prospect of Henry linking up with Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho prompted talk of a "fantastic four" in attack, but the dream was never realised.
Messi and Eto'o suffered long-term injuries for the second season running, Henry, hampered by a back complaint and personal problems, struggled to adapt to the Barcelona style, while Ronaldinho was plagued by fitness and weight problems.
What made this all so much harder to bear was that a relatively unexceptional Real Madrid side beat Barca to the league title for a second year running.
Losing out to arch-rivals Real in the league, Valencia in the Cup and Manchester United in Europe, the Rijkaard era had clearly come to an end.
(Editing by Clare Lovell)